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The Wormhole Connection
"The Wormhole Connection" The Klingons attack with a new secret weapon. Creators * Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry * Writer : Mike W. Barr * Artists: ** Pencil art: Tom Sutton ** Ink art: Ricardo Villagran ** Color art: Michele Wolfman ** Letter art: John Costanza * Editor: Marv Wolfman Summary ;From the book: Captain's log, Stardate 8141.5. Though Klingon violations of the Neutral Zone are fairly frequent, they have been unusually numerous of late.... While patrolling the Neutral Zone, the USS Gallant is ambushed and attacked by Klingon ships without warning, leaving the Gallant dead in space. Captain Bearclaw orders immediate launch of the ship's log buoy then asks Bryce, his science officer, what happened. Bryce doesn't have time to finish his reply as the ship is destroyed. The log buoy escapes. On the bridge of a Klingon ship, Captain Koloth remarks on the gloriousness of the attack, then orders his helmsman, Konom, to set course for home. Konom is privately horrified at the loss of life. On Earth (stardate 8145.3), James T. Kirk meets with Starfleet Grand Admiral Stephen Turner to request permanent command of the Enterprise, to which Turner consents. After the meeting, Kirk calls up to the ship to announce the news to an overjoyed crew. A short while later (stardate 8145.6), the Enterprise leaves Earth orbit, en route to Section 14 of the Gamma Hydra system. Kirk sits in his quarters reading the copy of A Tale of Two Cities given to him by Spock. Saavik calls to inform him that they're approaching the Neutral Zone. Kirk orders Saavik to patch him through the ship, and expresses his confidence in the Enterprise's newer crewmembers over the intercom. In the ship's mess, Ensign Nancy Bryce, still recovering from the death of her father on the Gallant, leaves for her duty shift on the bridge. Outside Kirk's quarters, she is intercepted by Ensign William Bearclaw, whose father was the Gallant's CO. Bearclaw blames Bryce's father for his own father's death and starts a physical altercation. Kirk walks out as Bryce kicks Bearclaw, knocking him into Kirk. Kirk berates them and warns them not "do the Klingons' job for them". Bryce accompanies Kirk to the bridge. There, after the ship has dropped from warp, Saavik informs Kirk there is no sign of Klingon ships. Kirk decides to try "fishing", with the Enterprise as the bait. On the bridge of Koloth's ship, Koloth plans to launch another surprise attack, upon the Enterprise. Konom sends a transmission to warn them when no one is looking. On the Enterprise, Saavik reports the Klingon ships' sudden appearance; Kirk orders shields up just in time. Kirk notices a pattern to the Klingons' offensive strategy and prepares to use it against them. He orders Sulu to drop shields. When Saavik starts to question the wisdom of his decision, Kirk snaps at her. Kirk's counteroffensive strategy succeeds, destroying two Klingon ships and causing the remaining two to withdraw to their secret hideaway. Saavik's inability to answer Kirk's question of their origin elicits another severe reprisal. Kirk orders a briefing in fifteen minutes and leaves the bridge. In Sickbay, McCoy is treating a patient when Saavik enters and asks to speak with him. McCoy takes her into his office, where she informs him of Kirk's attitude towards her, suspecting that Kirk will always think of her as "second best" compared to Spock. McCoy tells her he appreciates her problem, but she'll just have to deal with it—which Saavik doesn't find helpful. Afterwards, McCoy confronts Kirk in Kirk's quarters, reminding him that she isn't Spock and deserves to be treated as an individual. Kirk realizes that he's right. At the briefing, Saavik displays energy wave readings on a computer screen, gained as a result of Konom's transmission. Scotty identifies it as wormhole energy. Kirk and Scotty devise a plan to enter the wormhole. Saavik volunteers to go on the mission, which it doesn't seem at first that Kirk will allow, until he informs her that he has already selected her. Kirk returns to the bridge and recruits Ensign Bryce as well. Bryce follows him to the transporter room, where engineers are modifying environmental suits. Kirk calls up to the bridge and tells Uhura to contact the main council of Organia and notify them of the situation. A short while later, Saavik leaves the ship in a modified shuttlecraft and activates the shuttle's warp sled, causing the vessel to enter wormhole space. At the same time, Kirk and Bryce beam out in the environmental suits. McCoy asks Scotty if he think they'll be all right, but Scotty isn't sure. Elsewhere, Kirk and Bryce rematerialize in open space, above a massive Klingon space station. Background * Takes place between the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. * Throughout this story arc (and many subsequent DC issues), Saavik is drawn in the likeness of Kirstie Alley. * Story continues in the next issue. Characters :Recurring characters also listed in DC TOS volume 1 characters. ; James T. Kirk ; Spock ; Leonard McCoy ; Montgomery Scott ; Hikaru Sulu ; Uhura ; Pavel Chekov ; Saavik ; Christine Chapel ; Captain Bearclaw : ''USS Gallant CO, father of Ensign William Bearclaw (dies in this issue). ; Bryce : USS Gallant science officer, father of Ensign Nancy Bryce (dies in this issue). ; USS Gallant engineering officer ; Unnamed USS Gallant crew-members ; Captain Koloth : Klingon commander ; Unnamed Klingon ensign ; Konom : Klingon helmsman ; Admiral Stephen Turner : Starfleet Grand Admiral ; Welkin: Enterprise crew-member ; Fredericks: Enterprise crew-member ; Unnamed Enterprise crew-members Quotes "We've taken her away from you twice, and you've gotten her back twice. I think that's lesson enough even for a Grand Admiral, don't you... Captain?" :- Admiral Turner to Kirk, re: the Enterprise "Damn that Kirk! He is a sorcerer!" :- Koloth, after Kirk bests him in battle '' (Sighs) "Muh poor engines..."'' :- Scotty, when Kirk orders him to create a matter-antimatter imbalance Notes * Gamma Hydra has been shown to be in the proximity of Romulan space. Its inclusion in this issue is a tip of the hat to The Wrath of Khan. * This issue introduces Bryce, Bearclaw and Konom, who reappeared as supporting characters throughout DC's initial run. References ; antimatter ; cloaking device ; Gamma Hydra ; Khan ; Klingon Neutral Zone ; Klingon space station ; Klingons ; Organia ; Organian Peace Treaty ; Organians ; Shuttlecraft Galileo: ''Enterprise'' shuttlecraft #3 ; thruster suit ; USS Enterprise : Constitution class starship ; USS Gallant : Federation light cruiser, destroyed while patrolling the Klingon Neutral Zone. ; wormhole Category:Comics